The present invention relates to services provided in an online environment and more particularly to techniques for processing electronic forms.
The popularity of communication networks, such as the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), and the growing proliferation of computing devices has completely revolutionized the manner in which products and/or services are advertised, sold, and purchased. Most providers of products and services nowadays offer websites that advertise and sell the products and/or services. The Internet has thus become an important channel for providers to reach out to a large consumer audience in an easy and cost-efficient manner.
The Internet has also provided several conveniences to consumers. For example, information that would otherwise be difficult to find is now just a mouse-click away from the consumer. Consumers can browse and purchase products and/or services from the comfort of their homes or offices. The conveniences offered by the Internet have especially benefited the elderly and the disabled or others whose locomotive skills are hampered.
Although networks such as the Internet offer several advantages and benefits, the use of such networks is not always easy and streamlined. For example, in order to purchase a particular product, a consumer generally has to first identify a provider that sells the particular product. In order to identify the appropriate provider, the consumer typically has to perform several searches and then select a provider from the search results. The consumer then has to visit the selected provider's website and browse their products/services catalog to identify the particular product that the consumer is interested in purchasing. The consumer then has to fill out several forms (e.g., purchase forms, credit card information forms, etc.) provided by the provider before the particular product can be purchased. A common complaint of online consumers is that when they fill-in forms from different providers, they have to reenter the information requested by the form. This can be quite tedious and time consuming. This is especially rampant in the healthcare industry, which often requires submission of several forms and resubmission of forms at periodic intervals in order to continue services.
While the tasks to participate in online activities may be performed easily by individuals who are computer-savvy, they can be very tedious, intimidating, and frustrating for individuals who are not computer savvy. For example, a large number of the elderly and disabled find it difficult to perform these tasks and thus cannot avail themselves of the benefits offered by networks such as the Internet.